Coasts and Marine Structures- Industry Experts Key Topic Discussion

In this Key topic discussion, we’ve collated the responses from three industry leaders who have provided their opinions and thoughts on the current state of the coasts and marine structures field.
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In this Key topic discussion, we’ve collated the responses from three industry leaders who have provided their opinions and thoughts on the current state of the coasts and marine structures field. Here, they share what they believe are the future and progressive technologies and what they feel are the best practices to their work.

Alan Betts New South Wales Regional Manager and Australia Maritime Manager at

URS/Scott Wilson

Most of this rests upon efficient facilities. Right now we’re looking at automation – ranging from automation within containers and stevedoring terminals. For example, Patrick’s at Port Botany, there is an automated terminal there.

We can also expect more of automate rail operations , as well as the use of shore power to more effectively use resources.

In Porthedland, they use suction pads instead of ropes, which equates to increased efficiency.

There’ll also be greater use of keel clearance systems . This increases the time slot for vessel oepratiosn to navigate channels and they minimise the amount of dredging you do when you’re planning a port operation. We are probably going to see more cathodic or impressed current technologies for concrete too, as well as more plastics.

The LNG terminal at Costa Azul in Mexica, whereby the structure can be removed at the end of the project life also demonstrates a trend towards greater implementation of the infrastructure removal .

Needless to say, innovation should always be encouraged , and sometimes, the best results we’ve had were when we worked closely with the clients. It’s when clients and contractor engaged closely in working through solutions do we witness innovative ideas.

It is also important to not over specifying certain issues , which is a trap that can be common in such projects – this stifles innovation and may result in requirement conflicts. To combat this, it is a good idea to have a dispute resolution board , as what we have in Port Botany. I think this really helps the system and helps prevent any sort of adversarial conditions.

Ensuring clever designs are one of the key parts, and this can be done by side testing, which has proven useful in our design in Costa Azul, Mexico

We are also going to see more precasting and fabrications of elements on shore. For example, the Port Botany expansion project uses a significant amount of precast and concrete elements

I also expect to see more modular construction too, such as the ones used in South Hook in Wales and some other jobs for LNG terminal.

Finally, we’re going to see more processing and materials for recycling and that happened in Port Botany and South Hook. In regards to South Hook, there were modifications of construction techniques, and since there were extensive areas of coral, the construction program needed to be modified and varied to accommodate this. And it’s actually a very clever technique.